Pull Over

As our mission team showed up to build a home for Jose and family, the locals would stop by in curiosity, as they saw these strangers show up at the property. It was obvious that we weren’t from around there by our skin color and language. Those who passed by, whether walking, riding a bike, or even a motor-bike would at least take a double-take. However most would stop to see what was going on. Some would even stop to lend a hand. with the work that was going on. There were those that would watch from across the street and gradually inch closer to the job site. It was amazing to see our work force of fifteen nearly double at times as the community (made up of friends, family and just people in the neighborhood) would jump in and help build the house. People from different nations, speaking different languages were working together for one cause. It was truly a cool thing that everyone should experience at least once. We (Americans) all recognized the fact that most of us would have just kept on going if we saw something like this in our neighborhood. We would be too “busy” to stop, because we are always too busy. Sadly our being too busy or unwillingness to stop and care causes us to miss out on amazing stories around us. Those who stopped by heard Jose’s story of faith. Jose had torn down his tin-roofed house of 29 years just a day or two before the Americanos on mission with local Christians (Casas por Christo and local church) came to build the foundation of a new home; and resurrect this new place in just over three days. —- As I paused or pulled over to reflect on all this, I wondered how this trip effected me. In that quiet time God pointed out to me three recent missed opportunities to pull over: two were in my own community before I left the country. As I was hastily getting things ready to depart, that was my excuse for not stopping by to see a person that I felt God nudging me to go see. I didn’t have time for that. Also in my hurriedness, God had bumped me to just send a note of care to another person; and I was distracted just enough to not do that. The third opportunity was in the airport. I observed from a distance what looked like an elderly woman missing her flight emotionally distraught as she sat down to cry it out. —- I don’t know her. She doesn’t probably even speak English were my thoughts. I’m sixty feet away from her in an airport full of people. Why is this bothering me? It’s not my problem. I’m off duty. I’m headed on mission. All three of these opportunities would have offered a unique blessing from God for those involved. Who knows what good it would have done had I “pulled over?”—- When we go on a mission of any sorts, we usually think about what we are doing for someone else. However, God is using that tender moment as we are submitted in humility to mold and shape us. But we have to stop and pull over and see what’s going on! Have you pulled over lately to see what is going on in the lives of people around you? If I learned nothing else, it was maybe just a simple reminder: people matter. Jesus stopped and pulled over all the time… for people, and amazing things followed.

"Now the Tax Collector..."---Lk.15:1

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.”—-Lk.15:1 It is easy to ascertain the folks back then considered the word tax-collector and sinner as synonymous. It was such as these that were drawing near to hear the sweet words of Jesus. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and scribes couldn’t believe that Jesus would speak to them, much less get that close to “sinners.” Knowing their hearts, Jesus shares a couple of parables teaching them that just as, they look for lost things—-so does God. People lost in sin have lost their way, and Jesus has come to bring them back. “Just so, I tell you, there is a joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) When one person comes to faith in Christ, there is a party in heaven!—-Jesus said. —- As we grow in our personal faith, we too can become accidental Pharisees (thinking too highly of ourselves, forgetting that we too came out of sin). Maybe there are people around you that are in deeper to sin than you ever were. Remember that Jesus came for them also.

“Now you shall see….”—Ex.6:1

So the people went from hopeless to “hopeless-er.” They were excited that God had heard their cry and sent a Deliverer (Ex.4:31). But they were upset when Pharaoh got mad and made life even more miserable on the Hebrew slaves. —-It was at this lowest point that God tells Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”-Ex.6:1 God follows that up with seven “I will” statements. This should have been most encouraging to these people as they had reached the lowest low, because when God wills something, it is going to happen. (But maybe they didn’t quite know God like that, yet!) Also God told Moses that he appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; but they didn’t know Him like all of the people were about to know Him. God had made a promise to their ancestors (an “I will”), and He was working towards getting them to the land of promise. However, their descendants were about to know God in a way that the world had never known Him. God is constantly revealing more and more of Himself to mankind. On earth this ultimately happened with the incarnation of Christ Jesus. The grand finale will be when we see Him face to face. But in the here and now, we can know that when we are at our lowest point, and we cry out to God; He will intervene. Sometimes it seems like He lets it get to the lowest point so that we are absolutely positive that it was Him. —-May we trust the promises of God today as we live joyously for Him even through tough times.